South Shore officers uncover 76 pounds of pot, assault rifle

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Shore law enforcement officers arrested two people this week after discovering more than 70 pounds of marijuana and a loaded assault rifle in a Christmas Valley home.

Officers from the South Lake El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team arrested Deborah Morton, 49, around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday after serving a warrant at 998 Panorama Court, said SLEDNET Task Force Commander Jeff Catchings.

Officers arrested her roommate, Douglas Eversole, 47, in a parking lot at Kirkwood Mountain Resort later that day after officers found enough evidence indicating Eversole was involved in the sale of marijuana from the residence, Catchings said.

Officers found 76 pounds of processed marijuana, a 58 plant marijuana grow, $43,500 in cash and a loaded Heckler & Koch HK91 assault rifle at the residence.

The illegal assault rifle was found underneath a bed in the house along with several legal firearms, Catchings said.

Officers found the money hidden throughout the house, Catchings said.

The grow operation would not have been large enough to create the amounts of marijuana confiscated at the house, Catchings said.

Both Morton and Eversole had proposition 215 cards and officers believe the pair was legally purchasing marijuana from area marijuana collectives, with plans to resell the marijuana on the East Coast, Catchings said.

Sixty-three pounds of the marijuana seized at the house was packaged for distribution at the time of the raid, Catchings added.

SLEDNET does not target marijuana growing operations that are in compliance with California's medical marijuana laws, and found no evidence of wrong-doing by area dispensaries, Catchings said.

Morton and Eversole were each arraigned in El Dorado County Superior Court in South Lake Tahoe on Thursday on one count of marijuana cultivation, one count of possession of marijuana for sale and one count of possession of an assault weapon.

Morton's bail is set at $1,067,500 and Eversole's bail is set at $1,069,000.